Roy Zimmerman

Biography

Roy Zimmerman is a guitarist/songwriter/satirist who founded the Southern California folk quartet The Foremen. The quartet pulled off the remarkable feat of performing at the national conventions of both major American political parties in 1996. The Foremen continued on for a short time after Zimmerman went on to become a solo act, writing and performing topical songs on subjects ranging from Martha Stewart to supermodels to television to religious fundamentalism to the state of the country and...

Roy Zimmerman is a guitarist/songwriter/satirist who founded the Southern California folk quartet The Foremen. The quartet pulled off the remarkable feat of performing at the national conventions of both major American political parties in 1996. The Foremen continued on for a short time after Zimmerman went on to become a solo act, writing and performing topical songs on subjects ranging from Martha Stewart to supermodels to television to religious fundamentalism to the state of the country and the world.


The Los Angeles Times says, "Zimmerman displays a lacerating wit and keen awareness of society's foibles that bring to mind a latter-day Tom Lehrer."

Tom Lehrer himself says, "I congratulate Roy Zimmerman on reintroducing literacy to comedy songs. And the rhymes actually rhyme, they don't just 'rhyne.'"

Joni Mitchell says, "Roy's lyrics move beyond poetry and achieve perfection."

Zimmerman has played clubs across the country, and shared the stage with George Carlin, Bill Maher, Kate Clinton, Dennis Miller, Sandra Tsing Loh, kd lang, Andy Borowitz and Paul Krassner. He's done several shows with The Pixies' Frank Black, swapping songs in a solo acoustic setting. His up-to-the-moment topical songs are featured on American Public Media's syndicated broadcast "Weekend America" and Sirius Radio's "West Coast Live."

Jeff Penalty, lead singer for The Dead Kennedys, reviewed Roy's show for the Punk music magazine Scratch, calling Roy, "a unique type of superhero who possesses the power to nearly coax urine from the unwilling bladders of his audience members (via laughter). He delivered some of the smartest satirical songs that I'd ever heard."

Zimmerman founded and wrote all the material for the comedy folk quartet The Foremen, who recorded four albums, two of them for Warner/Reprise Records. The Foremen toured extensively, playing the nation's major folk venues, a lot of fancy Progressive benefits, Pete Seeger's Clearwater Festival (under an overpass in the rain) and CBGB. They even warmed up the crowd for President Bill Clinton.
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